Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. (Luke 11:9 NLT)
Maybe you’ve waited long than you think you should. Perhaps you thought prayer was like a drive-thru window, where you place your order and it comes up quickly. But God’s best rewards go to those who are persistent, as demonstrated in scripture—and in life—again and again.
People waited years to see their destinies fulfilled, pressed through crowds to see Jesus, pushed through all sorts of obstacles and opposition to get a breakthrough. Sudden miracles were, and still are, often the snapshot at the end of long-held hopes. And people who gave up their hopes missed them.
That’s why Jesus’ words about prayer, both here and in two parables about persistence, urge us to keep at it. With God, requests are often not a one-time transaction. They are a door into deeper relationship, and only those who will press through initial appearances or obstacles will receive what he offers.
The key to experiencing God in more tangible ways is to ask repeatedly and persistently—to press through the crowded circumstances of our lives, the negative voices in our own minds, and the expectations of those who think we’re wasting our time. Don’t lose heart. Keep asking, seeking, knocking. The doors of heaven will open just in time.
